Tool for turning in the ends of tubular fabrics.



PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

C. F. PINKHAM. TOOL FOR TURNING IN THE ENDS 0F TUBULAR FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. PINKHAM, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO FRANK W. WHITCHER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TOOL FOR TURNING IN THE ENDS OF TUBULAR FABRICS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed June 11,1906. Serial No. 321,109.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. PINKHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tools for Turning in the Ends of Tubular Fabrics, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In the manufacture of certain articles from tubular fabrics such, for instance, as lacings and the like, it is necessary that the end of the fabric be turned or tucked into the interior bore of the fabric.

My invention has for its object the provision of means for performing this operation of turning or tucking in the ends of such tubular fabric.

The device embodying the invention is capable of operating wherever it is necessary to turn or tuck in the end of a tubular fabric, but is especially adapted for use in the manufacture of so-called composition tip shoe laces which are composed of tubular fabric, the ends of which are turned in and are afterwards permeated with some suitable composition and compressed in dies to give them the required stiffness and hornlike consistency.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features thereof are pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of the specification.

Referring to the drawings,Figure 1 shows a side view of the tool embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view showing the tool embodying my invention in use, the central portion of the said tool being inserted in the end of a piece of tubular fabric and the extreme end portion thereof being gripped by the tool preparatory to the inward movement by means of which the lacing is turned in. Fig. 3 illustrates the operation of the tool at the time when it is about to be withdrawn.

In the drawings,there is shown at A a spear or interior turning-in member attached to a shaft B, which is itself carried on a convenient handle 0. The spear head A is tapering and pointed, and is preferably circular in cross section. It serves to enter the opening of the bore of the tubular fabric and to expand the same to permit the tucked in portion of the fabric to be inserted therein. The spear head A at the pointwhere it joins the shaft B is tapered, as shown at D, to form a neck against which the sides of the tubular fabric E are pressed by the spring grippers F and G attached to some convenient portion of the handle O or shaft B. In the drawings I have shown the said spring grippers F and G as attached by screws H. The said spring grippers F and G have smooth sides converging in substantially straight lines toward the point of the central member, so that the turned in lacing readily slips off the tool when the turning in operation has been accomplished.

In order that the inturned length of shoe lace may be the same in every case, I provide a stop 1 upon the tapered portion D of the spear A, against which the fabric strikes at the end of the turning in movement, thus limiting the amount that is turned in. The two spring grippers F and G are each provided with thumb pieces M upon which the fingers rest during the operation of turning in.

In order that the two spring grippers F and G may not become displaced, I have provided the shaft B with an expanded portion K in which I out two opposite grooves L and N, one of which is shown in Fig. 1, both being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. These serve to guide the grippers.

It will be seen that when the two spring grippers F and G are depressed by the thumb and finger, as shown in Fig. 2, the points of the grippers hold the extreme end of the lacing firmly against the neck of the spear, so that the ends of the lacing E may be turned inwardly upon itself, the fingers on the other hand furnishing sufficient friction on the outside of the lacing to carry the main portion of the shoe lacing onto the shaft and grippers, as shown in Fig. 3. The neck of the spear D is enough smaller than the main diameter of the spear head A so that the portion of the tubular fabric at the point at which the turning has taken place tends to pass outside of the points of the grippers and does not catch on the threads composing the fabric and interfere with the turning in of the end portion of the fabric.

When the fabric or lacing reaches the stops I, the grippers are released and tend to spring outwardly, thus expanding laterally the end portion of the fabric and tending to hold the same away from the spear head, so that the turned in portion of the tubular fabric is not in danger of being turned right side out again when the spear head is withdrawn. This action will be readily understood from an inspection of Fig. 3.

The operation of my tool is as follows: The portion of the tubular fabric which is to be turned in having been previously trimmed off is taken in one hand and the point of the spear or interior turning-in member A is inserted in the said tubular fabric. The spear is then pushed into the lacing as it is held between the thumb and fore finger until the lacing has passed over the spear head and the end of the tubular fabric is beneath the ends of the spring grippers F and G. The spring grippers F and G are then compressed by the thumb and fore finger of the other hand so that the end of the tubular fabric is pinched between the said spring grippers and the neck of the spear. The tool is then pushed into the fabric until the end of the fabric is turned in sufficiently, and the right hand end of the turned in portion as shown in Fig. 3 is against the stops I. The operator then removes his thumb and fore finger from the spring grippers which spring back to their normal position expanding the end of the turned in lacing and holding it clear of the spear so that the tool may be withdrawn Without turning the tip right side out again.

I I: is found that by the use of this tool the operation of turning in the ends of tubular fabric which has heretofore been a difficult and slow operation may be accomplished with great rapidity and ease, and the resulting articles are very uniform in character.

I claim as my invention:

1. The improved device for turning in the ends of tubular fabrics comprising a tapering central member for insertion within the bore of the said fabric, and grippers (:0- operating with the said central member to pinch the fabric during the turning operation.

2. The improved device for turning in the ends of tubular fabrics, comprising a member for insertion in the bore of the fabric, and longitudinally immovable spring grippers normally out of contact with the first-mentioned member.

3. The improved device for turning in the ends of tubular fabrics comprising a tapering central member for insertion within the bore of the fabric, said central member having a neck of less diameter, and gripperscooperating with the said central member at the said neck to pinch the fabric against the neck during the turning operation.

4. The improved device for turning in the ends of tubular fabrics comprising a tapering central member for insertion in the bore of the fabric, and gripping members provided with substantially straight smooth sides converging toward the point of the central member.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. PINKHAM.

Witnesses:

Gnonen P. DIKE, JOSEPHINE E. LONG. 

